Cucurbita moschata
Delicious and nourishing , butternut squash is a vining yearly with a free , sprawl drug abuse that ’s pretty easy for the home base gardener to school .
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Tan - color in white walnut are a winter variety with a characteristic operose and uneatable rind that covers graphic , saffron crocus - colored flesh with a rich , nutty nip and endearing , buttery texture when fake .
Photo by Lorna Kring.
Large yellow flower grow pear tree - work gourd in summer that are reap in former downslope . These are excellent for storing , with a ledge life of two to six month in the right conditions .
These warm - weather plant need a long time of year of heat and toasty temperatures to fully develop the beautiful beige gourd , so start plant indoors is a good estimation in nerveless or northern climates .
Wonderfully versatile in a range of recipes let in both savory and sweet dishes , the pretty fruit light up any tabular array . Plus , these healthy , character - rich gourd are an excellent origin of vitamins A and C.
Pretty , tasty , and nutritious , you ’ll have it away how responsive these flora are when leave a little second of extra attention to meet their motive !
Does this sound like a vegetable you want to grow ? Then join us now to learn how to rise and care for butternut squash .
Here ’s everything we ’ll cover up ahead :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Butternut Squash?
Butternut squash , aka butternut pumpkin or gramma , is avariety of the winter squashspeciesCucurbita moschatawhich is in the gourd sept , Cucurbitaceae .
A creeping or climbing , tendril - bearing yearly that trail from five to 15 feet , it raise large , toll - shaped yellow flowers and medium - sized fruit typically in the range of three to five pounds at maturity .
Technically , butternuts are fruits . But they ’re consume as a cooked vegetable .
The growing season is typically 100 to 120 days with yield form in summer , but short - time of year cultivars are uncommitted .
They have a characteristic hourglass or pear - same shape that feature a longish , sarcoid neck and bulbous flush - end bottom that contains the seed dental caries . The compact , hard rind is inedible and commute color as it matures , from greenish to beige or tan when good in fall .
When raw , the beautiful , deep orange flesh is impenetrable and hard with a slightly acerbic flavor . Cooked , the flavor sweetens and takes on kookie distinction with a suave , velvety texture .
extremely nutritious and widely various , butternut squash may be used in a range of dishes , both savory and sweet – from creamy soups , stuffed pasta , and grilled bomber to cakes , gem , and pies .
Mature gourds stack away well and can be kept for two to six month , calculate on the kind and reposition conditions . We ’ll provide warehousing recommendations afterward in this template , so keep read !
Cultivation and History
wintertime squashare aboriginal to the Americas and have been a food source for autochthonous peoples for millennia .
The butternut type is thought to be a natural crossbreed or mutation of the Canada summer crookneck variety of the same specie , which was further evolve by inexpert breeder Charles A. Leggett .
In 1944 , Leggett produced the first dependable cultivar with fruit that had a brusk , wooden-headed cervix , few seeded player , and thus , less wastefulness .
Leggett was said to have line the flesh of his new yield as “ smooth as butter and sweet as a nut ” giving wage hike to the term “ butternut . ”
Cucurbitais Latin for gourd andmoschatais Latin for musky , while the term “ crush ” is a first derivative of the Narragansett Native American Son askutasquash .
Since the 1940s , several fresh multifariousness have been developed let in dwarf and bush ( non - vining ) cultivar such as ‘ Butterbush ’ and ‘ Honeynut . ’ We ’ll discuss a few alternative uncommitted to domicile gardener in more item below .
Propagation
A warm - season plant , squeeze seeds can be sown directly into the undercoat outdoors , or come out indoors betimes and then planted out .
To direct sow , plant after all danger of freeze has passed and dirt temperature have warmed to at least 65 ° atomic number 9 .
Plant seed half an inch to one in deeply in hills or mounds , spacing them about six to 12 inches apart .
weewee lightly but avoid overwatering , which can bottle up germination . Seeds should sprout in five to 10 days .
To take up indoors , sow seeds four to six week before the last predicted frost date .
Sow one or two seeds in belittled , four - inch containers filled with a starter mix . Keep the dirt moist but not wet .
After bourgeon , place potted seedlingsunder maturate lightsor in a bright , cheery window , and keep the soil lightly moist .
Once seedling develop their second hardening of true leaves and all risk of infection of hoarfrost has slip by , inure them off before transfer into the garden . Plant them at the same depth as the container they are currently growing in .
How to Grow
Once land temperatures accomplish a minimum of 65 ° atomic number 9 , take a gay location in humus - fertile , well - drain soil with a slightly acidulous pH of 6.0 to 6.8 to grow your transplant .
Before planting , create a small-scale hill or mound about 18 inches magniloquent . Hilling is a good method for trailing veggies , as it give them room to urban sprawl and helps to improve air circulation to keep plants juiceless and healthy .
An alternative is to coach vines onto a sturdy trellis for unsloped development . However , this is best for cultivating small fruit that are less than two to three pounds at maturity . Heavier fruit can snap stems and may expect a sling and rig to ease the weighting .
Sow seeds as trace above and provide at least one column inch of water per calendar week in the absence of rain to keep the soil moist but not wet .
Powdery mold can be a problem for these plants , which can be offset by keeping the leaves ironical . Drip or soaker hoses are excellent for this type of watering , which you may read about inour guide to irrigation method .
Once plants have two true sets of leaves , either after transplanting or for those sown straight in the garden , it ’s time to mulch . Give them a two - inch mulch of leaf moulding or straw to retain moisture and keep weeds down .
Juglans cinerea are heavy feeders and do good from an software of liquid fertilizer every three to four weeks , until about a month before harvest .
Use a balanced recipe such as 10 - 10 - 10 NPK or a vegetable convention with a lower nitrogen level such as 5 - 10 - 10 to prevent ungovernable foliage growth .
In plus to regular fertilizing , you’re able to also side - dress with a two- to four - in bed of compost or well - rotted manure halfway through the growing season .
For container growth , choose potbelly at least 24 inches tall and wide to appropriate plants to go after in an airy environment . you’re able to also summate a fewquick - flowering yearbook to pull pollinators .
Squash bloom are often hidden under leafage , and they involve insects for pollination . To promote salutary yields , plantalyssum , coreopsis , cosmos , ordillnearby to attractbeneficial predatorsand pollinators to your plants .
I wish to line the bottom of pots with drainage material such as pebbles or broken pottery . Then fill with humus - rich dirt ameliorate withmoisture - retentive materials such as coconut coir , peat moss , perlite , or vermiculite .
localize in a warm , sunny location and keep the filth moist , but not soused . prey with a liquid fertilizer every three workweek until the skin of the fruit set about to modify colour , about a month before harvest home .
Like other eccentric of squash rackets , it should be noted that butternuts are monecious , meaning they have distinctive male and distaff efflorescence .
Male flower appear first and do not bring forth fruit . The female efflorescence come out about five day later and each one has a tiny pre - gourd at the base of operations of the flower stem which develops into a fruit when pollinated .
Growing Tips
The following tips will help insure a plentiful harvesting :
Maintenance
As fruits grow and ripen , raise them off the soil with small boards , flat Harlan Stone , or wry straw mulch . This helps to keep the fruit wry and keep rotting .
These sun - lover can overheat on live summertime good afternoon . It ’s not strange for leaves to droop fairly in the afternoon , then perk up again as the Dominicus goes down . Should plants not revive , provide them with light good afternoon shade .
If your area experience extended flow of heat or drought , you’re able to employ shade cloth to protect works from the good afternoon Dominicus .
Pruning the vines is n’t absolutely necessary , but it can serve the plants to produce higher yields . you’re able to see more about when and how to do this inour guide to trimming pumpkin vines .
And once your plants are reap , clean and dispose of plant life fabric . If powdery mildew was present during the growing time of year , avoid put plant debris in the compost .
Cultivars to Select
Now have ’s look at some cultivars for you to seek .
Butterbush
‘ Butterbush ’ are stocky , tidy plants that yield up to five big fruits each with abstruse Orange River , scented , creamy soma and a small seed cavity . These store well for up to six month .
‘ Butterbush ’
An first-class selection for small garden , the vigorous vine arise up to 12 column inch tall and trail four to five feet , producing two- to three - British pound sterling yield in a 75 - daytime grow season .
Seeds areavailable at Burpee .
Butterkin
A unique hybrid hybridizing between a white walnut and a pumpkin ( C. pepo ) , ‘ Butterkin ’ has a rounded human body with a liquid rind of wan , creamy orange and highly sweet orange bod .
The compact vines gain a stature of eight to 10 column inch and trail four to six feet with a grow time of year of 105 days . Fruits pass a mature size of two to four pound and have a intermediate seed cavity .
‘ Butterkin ’
‘ Butterkin ’ is quick gain popularity for its tidy sizing , easy growth , and summary , flavourous yield .
you could find packets of seedsavailable at Burpee .
Honeynut
A recent open - pollinate hybrid from Cornell University , ‘ Honeynut ’ is a white walnut and buttercup ( C. maxima ) cross with lovely , thick - necked mini - fruit the sizing of a medium white potato vine .
Fruits count in at just one - one-half to one pound each . The firm , damp flesh is exceptionally sweetened with loco tones and a smooth , satiny texture .
The amber rind are streaked with green and pretty thin - skinned , and the yield may be stash away for up to three month .
‘ Honeynut ’
breed with improved resistance to powdery mould , plants grow 10 to 12 inches grandiloquent and go after seven to 10 feet . ‘ Honeynut ’ has a growing time of year of 110 day .
Conventional andorganic seedsin packet and in bulkcan be purchased at reliable Leaf Market .
Pilgrim
note for its rich , buttery , nutty tone , ‘ Pilgrim ’ feature classic pear - shaped fruits with buff - colored rind , bright orange bod , thick meaty necks , and a pocket-sized seed pit .
A dwarf variety , the vines grow eight to 12 column inch tall and spread only two to three invertebrate foot . The three - pound fruits age in 80 to 90 twenty-four hour period .
‘ Pilgrim Father ’
Full - flavored and densely fleshed , ‘ Pilgrim ’ is well - suited for container ontogeny and small garden spaces .
formal seedscan be purchased at Burpeeand constitutive seminal fluid areavailable at True Leaf Market .
Waltham
The original butternut hybrid , ‘ Waltham ’ sport long - neck , tear - shaped fruit with sweet and tender bod . The three- to six - quid fruits have a strong , tan - colour rind with a vivid marigold - orange tree interior .
fruit mature in 85 to 95 twenty-four hours on high - yield vine that farm 16 to 36 inch marvelous and trail six to nine feet . Flavor improves after one to two calendar month of storage and fruits may be stack away for up to six months .
‘ Waltham ’
This is a reliable pick for heavy containers , hills , and mounded rows .
schematic seminal fluid are available in packets and in bulkat Eden Brothers . Organic ‘ Waltham ’ seed areavailable from Gurney ’s via Home Depot .
Managing Pests and Disease
The most usual pest you may amount across is the squash racquets bug ( Anasa tristis ) , a sap - lollipop that attacks leaves and stems .
employ a hoseor knock grownup bugs off plants and into a bucketful of saponaceous piddle . ruin any of the blood-red eggs you find on the underside of foliage .
Squash bug can also be trapped under a board overnight and then disposed of in the morning .
In dampish conditions , slugs and snailsmay munch on tender seedling . Handpick and dispose of any gastropods you detect assault your vine .
The dreaded crush vine woodborer ordinarily does n’t attack butternut tree , accord to experts at theUniversity of Minnesota Extension programme .
But plants are susceptible to the fungous infections such aspowdery mildew , which look as a white or white-haired dusting on leaves .
Affected foliage should be removed and destroyed . septic plants may need to be sprayed with a antifungal such as neem oil to prevent further spread .
Adequate air travel circulation is the in force prevention for powdery mold , so ensure plants have ample space and clean up works rubble in fall to prevent spores from overwinter .
Harvesting
Butternuts are ready for harvest when the rind have inure and turned from green to a warm tan .
Using a blank , sharp knife , cut through the stem about two inches from the yield . forget the stem attached helps forestall unwelcome bacterium from entering through the soft berth where the stem is attached .
After picking , the yield demand to cure for a few weeks to help season the rind for storage and to better its savor .
softly wash the fruit then lay it out on a drying single-foot or ledge to cure in a warm , wry positioning with a temperature around 70 ° F .
curative for four week , turning the fruit over halfway through the curing period .
Storage
After cure , depot fruit in one or two layers in baskets or bins for three to six month in a cool , dry positioning with temperature around 40 to 50 ° farad . A basement or cellar works fine , but do n’t let the gourds freeze .
To reap seed for propagation next yr , open up a gourd vine and take away the seeds and surrounding membrane .
wash off the source thoroughly then lay them out in a single stratum on a paper towel to dry out in a warm , ironic area out of direct sunlight .
When dry in seven to 10 days , software program in an envelope and store in a cool , teetotal cupboard . Dried seeds will continue viable for up to six years in these weather condition .
in the raw and cubed yield can be salt away in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
Preserving
split second - halt peeled and cube yield in a single layer on a baking sheet until the block are frozen , in one to two hour .
box frozen block into airtight containers and freeze for six to 12 months .
Peeled and cubed fruit can also be canned .
Blanch it first for two minutes in boiling body of water then tamp into uninfected , sterile canning jarful .
add together two teaspoon of lemon succus per pint of fruit .
Top the jars with the blanching liquid , leave half an column inch of headspace .
invest neat , unfertile lid on the jounce and screw bands on lightly .
Process in a atmospheric pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure for 55 minutes for dry pint and 90 minutes for quart jars . Unopened canned squash racquets can be stored for two to five age in a cool , dark cupboard .
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
A traditional winter veg , the delicious flavor of butternut squash can be savor at any sentence of the class . It ’s a treat on the summertime grill , as well as in roast veg potpourri , soups , salads , and risotto .
you may find several scrumptious and satisfying recipes from biscuit to soup and stews in this roundup of 15 of the best butternut tree squeeze recipesfrom our sister web site , Foodal .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Beautiful, Nutritious, and Delicious
With a fantastic , copious flavor and gorgeous brilliant orange flesh , butternut squash is beautiful , nutritious , and delicious .
In poor - summer sphere , start seed indoors for the most productive vine and plant out where they ’ll have plenty of space to grow .
Remember to cure the fruits before storing , then enjoy your crop in XII of different recipes !
And for evenmore info about growing wintertime squash , have a read of these guides next :
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About
Lorna Kring
